The Edinburgh Airport Rail Link (EARL), the ambitious project which will connect Edinburgh Airport to the Scottish rail network, has received a funding contribution from the European Union.

The project, which is being managed by tie limited, has been awarded an indicative amount of €2million (circa £1.35million) funding from the Trans-European Network (transport) programme, after being recognised as a project eligible for community funding in the 2005 annual bidding round.

EARL was assisted in receiving this support by the Scottish Executive and the Department for Transport (DfT).

The funding, which is the first of its kind in Scotland, allows the EARL project to investigate all aspects of interoperability in the scheme - effectively making it compatible with trains from across Europe and assisting with the EU's vision of an integrated and expanded transportation network serving the whole of the European Union by 2010. This network would involve the integration of land, sea and air transport infrastructure networks throughout the European Community.

Susan Clark, Project Director, EARL, said: "We're delighted to have been selected for this prestigious funding. It underlines EARL's importance, not only to Scotland, but the rest of the UK and beyond. I believe strongly that the scheme should incorporate the most modern ideas in heavy rail whilst keeping an eye to the future. A trans-European network is the future and my team and I will work hard to ensure EARL complies.

"The award is further justification that the rail tunnel option proposed for EARL is the right choice, delivering benefits across a whole range of criteria, from strengthening Scotland's rail infrastructure to connecting us more firmly to worldwide transport networks."

The TENs Programme was established in 1994 to provide a framework for the development of transport networks across Europe and included the provision of funding support from the European Union to achieve the objectives outlined. This support was provided for a range of priority measures, including:

Completion of the connections needed to facilitate transport;
Optimization of the efficiency of existing infrastructure;
Achievement of interoperability of network components;
Integration of the environmental dimension in the network.

Projects meeting these criteria are designated as being of 'common interest at the European level' and where eligible to potentially receive funding support from the Programme. Support can be made available to support both feasibility studies related to projects meeting the above criteria or for the capital costs related to delivering such networks and related infrastructure or improvements to them.

EARL involves the construction of an underground station, 8 miles of new railway and 1.5 miles of tunnel underneath Edinburgh Airport.

A Private Bill for the project was introduced to the Scottish Parliament for consideration in March this year. If granted Royal Assent, full construction is due to being in 2008, with the link scheduled to be operational in 2011.

Detailed information on the EARL project can be found at www.earlproject.com.

For further information, please contact:
Gordon Robertson of Media House on 0131 555 1015

Notes to Editors:

The priorities agreed by the Commission and the European Parliament for providing financial support under the TENs Programme stated that projects needed to address the following objectives:

Establishment and development of the connections, key links and interconnections needed to eliminate bottlenecks, fill in missing sections and complete major routes;
Establishment and development of infrastructure for access to the network, making it possible to link island, landlocked and peripheral regions with the central regions of the Community;
The optimum combination and integration of the various modes of transport;
Integration of environmental concerns into the design and development of the network;
Gradual achievement of interoperability of network components;
Optimization of the capacity and efficiency of existing infrastructure;
Establishment of and improvement in interconnection points and inter-modal platforms;
Improved safety and network reliability;
The development and establishment of systems for the management and control of network traffic and user information with a view to optimizing use of the infrastructures; and,
Studies contributing to improved design and better implementation of the trans-European transport network.

TENS-T has funded a total 1,397 projects in the period from 1983 to 2004, of which 662 were studies. 194 of these studies have related to high speed rail projects across Europe, and 13 have been UK sponsored projects. 6 of these have been related to the development of the High Speed Rail Link between London and the Channel Tunnel, and 4 related to the redevelopment of the West Coast Main Line. Both the Channel Tunnel related links and the West Coast Main Line were included within the original 14 Priority Projects, agreed in 1994. The remaining three projects have covered rail infrastructure improvements for high speed links at Heathrow, and a high speed rail upgrade between Felixstowe and Nuneaton (2 studies). Details have not been released on 2006 Project awards.

For further information, please contact:
Gordon Robertson at Media House, t: 0131 555 1015 or
Jen Johnston at tie Limited, t: 0131 622 8330

Media Contact